Making a spoon knife

[S.C.M.]

So I am thinking of making a spoon knife from scratch, not from a blade blank, but totally from scratch. (even though I can barely keep my current one sharp)

I was thinking of using a hacksaw blade, annealing it, grinding, then bending it, then hardening. however, I'm not entirely sure how to temper it, or if that would even be necessary.
Does anyone have any thoughts on the matter? even "it won't work" would be good, as long as you say why.

 

[Nomad]

If you mean a normal 12" hacksaw blade, I'd have thought that would be too bendy and/or not strong enough.

 

[paul atkin]

Hi as said a normal hacksaw blade will be too thin. I started a thread here http://www.bodgers.org.uk/bb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2114
i have heat treated some and not bothered with others, i have a couple that i hardened and didnt temper, i passed them around at spoonfest and folks said they were as good as anything else out there. Iff you buy sabre blades go for the metal cutting ones they are a bit thicker and dont flex like the thinner wood blades. Since i posted that thread i have made loads and given them away to friends and family, they are all happy with them. Hope this helps Paul

 

[S.C.M.]

If you mean a normal 12" hacksaw blade, I'd have thought that would be too bendy and/or not strong enough.

Hi as said a normal hacksaw blade will be too thin. I started a thread here http://www.bodgers.org.uk/bb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2114
i have heat treated some and not bothered with others, i have a couple that i hardened and didnt temper, i passed them around at spoonfest and folks said they were as good as anything else out there. Iff you buy sabre blades go for the metal cutting ones they are a bit thicker and dont flex like the thinner wood blades. Since i posted that thread i have made loads and given them away to friends and family, they are all happy with them. Hope this helps Paul

Thanks for the answers, even if they were "no" It's a shame hacksaw blades would be too thin, they're so cheap!

However, it just so happens that I have some cheapo ex-saws in my dads shed hand saws though, not sabre saws.
Would they work equally well? and would it be necessary to anneal/harden them?

 

[paul atkin]

Not sure by what you mean by EX Saw, but my advice would be to just give it a go. Try without heat treat and if its no good try again. Heat treat is easy and can be done with a blow lamp/ gas hob/oven /fire ect

 

[demographic]

Not sure by what you mean by EX Saw, but my advice would be to just give it a go. Try without heat treat and if its no good try again. Heat treat is easy and can be done with a blow lamp/ gas hob/oven /fire ect

I'm guessing an Ex Saw is a hardpoint handsaw thats blunt.
I usually have several stages of handsaw in the van...

New good saw that's still sharp, for good cuts in timber where there's no chance of nails or near concrete.
Second saw that's no longer really sharp but I don't mind if I hit a nail with it or cut old scaffold boards that have sand and cement mess ingrained in them.
Blunt saw that wont cut wood at any decent rate but is OK for plasterboard or insulation.

I'm guessing an ex saw is if the last of those.

 

[S.C.M.]

I'm guessing an Ex Saw is a hardpoint handsaw thats blunt.
I usually have several stages of handsaw in the van...

New good saw that's still sharp, for good cuts in timber where there's no chance of nails or near concrete.
Second saw that's no longer really sharp but I don't mind if I hit a nail with it or cut old scaffold boards that have sand and cement mess ingrained in them.
Blunt saw that wont cut wood at any decent rate but is OK for plasterboard or insulation.

I'm guessing an ex saw is if the last of those.

precisely, an ex-saw is one that is rusty, blunt and horrible, I have a few. I didn't get around to cutting the oldest one yesterday, but I will tomorrow. probably or in the new year. I think that might be a new years resolution: "I will get my act together and make a knife and work on my spoons"

 

[demographic]

precisely, an ex-saw is one that is rusty, blunt and horrible, I have a few. I didn't get around to cutting the oldest one yesterday, but I will tomorrow. probably or in the new year. I think that might be a new years resolution: "I will get my act together and make a knife and work on my spoons"

Its worth bearing in mind that even hardpoint handsaws are pretty thin. I measured the thickness of some with my digital callipers ages ago and if I remember right they were all about 0.9mm thick.
They are thick enough to make cabinet scrapers if you have access to a decent guillotine

 

[S.C.M.]

Ok so I've made a spoon knife-like object. Now to make a handle for it and test it.

Should I post a description of how I made it? or start a new thread for that? or just not bother?

 

[demographic]

Ok so I've made a spoon knife-like object. Now to make a handle for it and test it.

Should I post a description of how I made it? or start a new thread for that? or just not bother?

Tell us how you got on, I'm interested.

 

[paul atkin]

How did you get on, would love to see the results

 

[S.C.M.]

Ok, first thoughts, having faffed around with a bit of wood or two: it has got about the right shape, but the steel I've used is probably too thin and flexible, the tang is probably wrong. I have no Idea what the toughnes/hardness is like, I have'nt used it enough. I will take some piccies tomorrow and probably post them.